BOSTON, Mass. (May 11, 2025) – The NCAA unveiled the 64-team field for the 2025 NCAA Division III Softball National Championship, and the Little East Conference champion UMass Boston Beacons (32-11-1) are headed to Ithaca, N.Y. for regional play. The Beacons will open their national tournament run against powerhouse Texas Lutheran University (39-3), the nation's No. 9-ranked team in the latest National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) poll. The matchup, set for Thursday, May 15 at 10:00 a.m. from Ithaca College, marks the first-ever meeting between the two programs.

Texas Lutheran enters the NCAA tournament as an at-large selection following a narrow loss in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) title game to Saint Thomas College (Tex.). Despite the setback, the Bulldogs boast one of the most complete resumes in the country—finishing the regular season with a 39-3 record, including a 23-1 mark at home, 15-1 on the road, and 1-1 in neutral-site games.

The Bulldogs are a force across all facets of the game. Offensively, they rank second in the SCAC in batting average (.365) and have totaled 244 RBIs on 394 hits, including 41 doubles, eight triples, and 18 home runs. On the basepaths, they've amassed an eye-popping 216 stolen bases in 223 attempts—just shy of the NCAA Division III single-season record. From the circle, they lead the SCAC in ERA (0.98), fielding percentage (.975), and fewest errors (26), along with a conference-best 26 double plays turned.

UMass Boston arrives at the national stage riding the momentum of an unforgettable Little East Tournament run, capped by an eight-inning walk-off win over Plymouth State to capture the program's third LEC title. The Beacons led the LEC in team batting average (.321), racking up 381 hits, 74 doubles, 18 triples, and five home runs. They also topped the conference in ERA (1.92), recording 12 shutouts, four saves, and 258 strikeouts—63 of them looking.

Graduate ace Bri Melchionda (Marshfield, Mass.) headlines the Beacons' roster after being named the LEC Tournament Most Outstanding Player for her dominance both at the plate and in the circle.
 

Melchionda finished the regular season ranked among the LEC's top five in several key offensive and pitching categories:

• 4th in batting average (.449)

• 3rd in on-base percentage (.508)

• 4th in OPS (1.134)

• 5th in total hits (48)

• 3rd in doubles (14)

• 3rd in ERA (1.79)

• 2nd in opponent batting average (.204)

• 2nd in strikeouts (119)

The Beacons enter regional play with a 32-11-1 overall record, including an 11-2-1 mark at home and a dominant 15-2 record in neutral-site games. They've recorded 12 shutouts and scored double-digit runs in eight contests this season, highlighted by a 22-3 rout of UMaine Presque Isle.

First pitch for UMass Boston's NCAA regional opener is scheduled for Thursday, May 15 at 10:00 a.m. at Kostrinsky Field on the campus of Ithaca College.

--FIND A WAY--